Many of the foods we eat are finger foods. These foods involve using our hands and fingers instead of utensils when placing the foods in our mouths. Some common finger foods include hamburgers, sandwiches, pizza, french fries, chicken wings, chicken fingers, barbeque, ribs, tacos, nachos, fruit, etc. that are best eaten using hands and fingers. Finger foods are especially common at events or large gatherings. Finger foods also make up many of the snacking items we consume. Chips, cheese puffs, candies, snack bars, trail mix, and the like involve using our hands and fingers in consumption.
The convenience, comfort, and portability of finger foods do however come at the cost of hygiene and cleanliness. People may not wash their hands prior to eating finger foods, because of a lack of facilities, simple oversight, or lack of concern. Germs, bacteria, and other harmful elements (e.g., microorganisms, viruses, chemicals, etc.) on our hands and fingers can then make their way into the body as the fingers contact saliva and other parts of the mouth. The after effects of finger foods, though not as harmful, can be undesirable as well. Sauces, sugars, flavorings, oils, etc. can become residual elements that remain on the fingers after consumption. These residual elements can stain clothes, scent the hands and fingers, and cause the hands and fingers to become sticky or greasy. Washing or wiping with napkins or moist towelettes is needed to remove these residual elements.
There is therefore a need to provide a way with which to consume finger foods as intended without the accompanying hygiene and cleanliness issues. Specifically, there is a need to allow consumers the ability to use their fingers when eating finger foods without having to wash their hands before eating because of concern for ingesting harmful elements, and also after eating because residual elements transferred from the finger foods to consumer's fingers.